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Sunday, August 24, 2014

At the beginning of June, John and I submitted a proposal for the City of Norfolk's first parklet program. Truthfully, I didn't really want to be tasked with building a parklet, but why would my juvenile proposal get picked anyway. Since it was one of three submitted, the Downtown Norfolk Council decided to go ahead with all three ideas, reimbursing half of what was purchased up to $2,500. Wait, what? My fantastic reading skills lead me to believe that all materials would be covered up to $2,500. So now we have to build a parklet and pay for it? How much will all of this actually cost? How are we psychically going to construct this thing? Who is this we? Where do we get "parklet materials"? How will we make sure it's ADA compliant, weather proof and withstand Norfolk in general?

The answer to all these questions? Just ask Norfolk. John asked Drew Richards for some help gathering pallets, to which he brought us these massive 6'x8' pallets, making the perfect base. I called Sherwin Williams in Ghent asking for donations of paint, to which they handed over a trunk-full of colors. We asked Amanda Page Stephens to paint a 'forest floor mural', to which she gathered a team of tweens and spent four evenings in my basement perfecting. John was put in contact with Lancaster Farms, who donated four Willow trees and more than 40 plants. We got a gracious donation from Brother Rutter, discounts from local shops and strangers transporting murals across town. We put a call out on Facebook asking for plants, lumber, tools, paint supplies and volunteers, to which more than 30 people showed up for a seven-hour work day at The Plot and what would become the DisplacedForestNFK (i.e. parklet). The DNC went above and beyond to provide lunch, extra soil and gravel (which was crucial), but most importantly volunteered a staff member to keep the trees and plants watered everyday. And to top it all off, we got a visit from Senator Mark Warner before his appearance at The Parlor!

It was a magical day in the Arts District. And a fantastic day for Norfolk. The city is changing. The scene is expanding. People are learning. It takes time and lots of effort. But with each project, the community is growing braver to want to tackle green-spaces, murals, pop ups, zoning, regulations and the overall idea of a different Norfolk, a prettier, more artistic, more welcoming Norfolk. We are making the difference and it will continue to happen, and get easier, if we just ask.

For my 92 Days of Summer list, this satisfies: my last monthly self portrait (#37); my last freebie: build a parklet (#81); visit a museum - we just built an outdoor variety (#23); and collage - since this is a piece of art made by sticking various materials together (#59).

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.

Easy recipe I've tried all Summer and the finished product is perfect! I made a chicken wrap last night with lettuce, tomatoes, ranch dressing and these onions and it was a great combo. They'd also be great on a Ruben sandwich or baked into some bread.

What you do:
1. Slice the onion and garlic.
2. Bring the vinegar, dill and salt to a boil.
3. Put the onions and garlic in a heat-safe bowl and pour the vinegar mixture on top. Season with pepper. Cover with plastic wrap. Stir every 15 minutes and recover.
4. After an hour transfer to an air tight container and store in the fridge.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Clockwise from top right: From Heather's Hands, Sincerely Stephanie, Kill Devil Skates and Of the Earth Body Care

We are down to just one Town Fair left for the 2014 season! Some adjustments were made to this year's programming, the biggest being the time. Recommendations were made from the merchants that the time be moved to later in the evening, which I totally agreed with and also that it should be on Friday nights. I think we were able to capture more of the leaving-work, happy hour crowd and play on the entertainment that the city books every weekend.

We were able to gain more artists and involve the existing Town Center retailers for two "Fashion Friday" events. Each year we plan to introduce new and exciting attractions or ways to promote the participants. If you've ever been to a Town Fair, let me know your thoughts!

This Summer I was lucky enough to design TWO window displays here in Norfolk. The first was at Lorak Jewelry in the Selden Arcade. I met with Anna at the beginning of the Summer and came up with this simple, but pretty design to fit her shop. If you haven't been in to see her jewelry, it's absolutely stunning. And made right here in Norfolk! Lorak is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located at 208 East Plume Street, Suite 12.

The second window was definitely a bit more challenging and time intensive, but came out beautifully! It's my beloved Table Seven Antiques. Leigh and I decided it would be fitting to decorate with a "food theme" since Fresh Market will be opening across the street in less than a month. We collected all of the shop's food related items, everything from cookbooks to rolling pins, baking tins to aprons, vintage bread boxes and even some 'fresh' felt flowers. It's definitely different than the typical Table Seven look, but a nice change for the Fall, until it's time for the Christmas windows!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.

Who needs to make bread when you have a out-of-this-world-amazingly-delicious bakery two blocks from your house? Chelsea's newest business, The Bakehouse, has capture my heart (and belly) through their local ingredients, simplistic interiors and delightful concoctions.

And just for the record, I did make bread this Summer. Jalapeño Cornbread for our trip to Farmville.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.

Monday, August 18, 2014

After all the years of collecting/hoarding these beautiful pieces of vintage paper, office accessories and books, it's time to put them on the Fairview Place shop. For a while you were able to find these goodies at Kitsch, but for now they'll only be available online. My most beloved pieces are the Paper Parcels (above). Each pack comes with 30 carefully selected papers, which include flash cards, labels, envelopes, sheet music, maps, stickers, button cards, doilies, graphing paper, tickets, book pages, memo cards, postcards and more. They are great for making cards, Smash Books, scrapbooking, adorning gifts or just for collecting.

Other items include paper doilies, air mail envelopes, bridge tally cards, invitations, library cards, clothespins, books (with goodies inside that tell quite a story) and more to come soon. Most of the fun for me is finding the ephemera at estate sales and thrift stores and then making the perfect packaging for it.

Please take a look at what's at the shop and pass along! I'm always happy to do custom, or bulk orders (like if you want 100 pages of sheet music, I can make that happen) or keep my eyes out for something very specific!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Our back porch and steps area has been in need of some TLC since we moved in a year ago. Of course this was never at the top of the to-do list, but I figured it would be a good item for 92 days and an easy weekend project. That is was not! Between the rain, the heat, the swarming mosquitoes and drying times it took me about 4 days to complete.

I scrapped the peeling paint to find several colors underneath, yellow, hunter green and even dark red! I sanded all the surfaces smooth and applied one heavy coat to all 17 stairs, almost 60 pickets and several other random planks and floors. The cost of paint was about $30 and I was able to use rollers and brushes we had from other projects, making this a well-worth-the-sacrifice type of job.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

I bought this ol' gal at an estate sale earlier in the Spring. Yes, I overpaid at $20, but I felt like it was a wise investment as patio furniture or a future display for my felt flowers. For $2 in spray paint I gave the cart a few coats of white paint and used it as a drink cart at our last get together. I still plan on changing out the wheels, when I finally find the right size, but it's adorable and perfect for our little porch landing!

I also love the assortment of goods on this cart: Straws from Ikea that Emily and I hoarded about 5 years ago. The flower tin tray is from my Thailand trip. The bar set was a housewarming present from Emily. Handmade felt flowers. The wood slab will be part of our wedding centerpieces. And of course, Smartmouth!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.